by Frontier Business on
As a business owner, you may have seen the symptoms of employee burnout around the office. These symptoms include a decrease in performance, a lack of innovation, or a negative attitude. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to avoid employee burnout, with one of the most effective being employee recognition and appreciation.
Employee appreciation is so important, in fact, that there’s an entire day devoted to it: Employee Appreciation Day. If you are wondering how you can show your employees you care this next Employee Appreciation Day, here are some budget friendly ideas that will help you knock it out of the park.
There is a reason food is at the center of nearly every holiday and celebration: people like a good meal. If you are looking for a way to celebrate all of the hard work your employees do, a food-related reward will rarely go wrong. You don’t have to build out a full-service cafeteria to show your employees that you appreciate their work, either—you can hire a caterer to come to your office and provide one nice breakfast or lunch. It won’t break the bank, and it’ll go a long way in boosting attitudes for the day.
What’s better than coming into work ready to meet another day at the daily grind only to be surprised you’re headed out on a fun adventure? Hardly anything. Treat your employees by taking them to a park, heading to a dollar movie, or going on a hike. Team-building activities can be auxiliary to the outing, but they shouldn’t be the focus—simply allowing your employees to enjoy each other’s company away from work is enough.
Your employees work hard to help your company meet its goals, and each of your employees has a unique set of talents and skills that help propel your business forward. When you take the time to notice and draw attention to employees’ accomplishments—in ways that are individually tailored to their personality and needs—you boost company morale and increase productivity. According to a Gallup report, employees who don’t feel recognized at work are around twice as likely to say they’ll resign in the next year; so take this opportunity to curb that sentiment and make your employees feel valued.
If you want to show your employees you care, take time to write a thank-you note to everyone you manage. Make sure to go above and beyond just signing a generic card with your name. Point out specific projects they worked on, how they impressed you with their work, and why you are grateful they are part of your team. As long as your notes are unique and focus on the hard work your employees put forth, they’ll hit the mark.
Research shows you perform better when you allow yourself down time to rest, relax, and recuperate. Yet despite the benefits of taking personal time, more than half of US workers don’t take all of their paid vacation time. Do yourself—and your employees—a huge favor on Employee Appreciation Day and give them a bit of time off. Let them know you understand how hard they work, and encourage them to take advantage of the time. Giving your employees paid time off for the day may seem like a loss up front, but it could yield surprisingly high returns in productivity down the line.
The purpose of Employee Appreciation Day is to show your employees how much you care. But if you only show them once a year, your staff may start to question how genuine the appreciation is. As such, one of the best things you can do on Employee Appreciation Day is to take the sentiment and find ways to incorporate it into your regular company culture. This will look different for every company, but regularly thanking your employees, offering public recognition, and adopting an employee rewards and incentive program are all great places to start.
The more you can do to celebrate your staff—on Employee Appreciation Day and beyond—the happier your employees will be. Consider trying out one or two of these ideas next year, and tweet us at @FrontierBiz if you’ve got any appreciation success stories to share.
